OWS force landlord to restore heat/air to tenants.

[backtoblue]

Occupy Wall Street Protesters Force Landlord To Restore Heat And Hot Water To Beleagured Tenants
By Zaid Jilani on Nov 8, 2011 at 4:40 pm



Protesters layed down the law and forced the landlord to respond.
The Huffington Post’s Trymaine Lee reports on a victory Occupy Wall Street protesters in New York City scored late last week.

The eight tenants of a Harlem apartment building on West 142nd Street had been living with only intermittent heat and hot water for years. According “to the city’s housing and preservation agency, there are currently 293 open violations at the location, including violations for not providing heat, hot water and not providing ready access to the boiler room.”

So Occupy Wall Street protesters launched Operation Occupy 477 Sugarhill. Dozens of protesters encamped themselves at the building, with at least ten protesters staying around the clock. Following “an all-day occupation on Halloween and the arrest of one protester, the landlord relented, allowing access to the boiler room. By late Friday evening, workers were clanging and banging away in the basement, dismantling the old clunker and clearing space for a new boiler, provided in part by an emergency order by the city.”

The Harlem action is one of many 99 Percent actions that have successfully helped local residents improve their lives by using civil disobedience to fight for a fairer and more just society.

thinkprogress.org

[valerief]

1. Great story. And a great way to solicit support for the movement. nt

[backtoblue]

4. It makes my heart grow to hear these stories.

Standing up for each other and affecting real change.

[Magoo48]

20. Have power, will travel......I love this stuff!

[Hassin Bin Sober]

2. How the fuck does a city allow a slum lord get away with so many OPEN violations?

Shouldn't the city going after, oh I don't know, maybe 200 hundred fucking violations and seize the property?

Do like they do with cars. Or unpaid tax bills, for that matter. Seize the property and sell it at auction with the stipulation the buyer must cure the violations in 30 days.

[valerief]

5. Some very wealthy person is probably the landlord. nt

[Matariki]

7. People who complain often get evicted

And they usually can't afford all the costs that moving to a new place entails so they try to put up with the conditions.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

12. Yeah but this bldg. has 293 OPEN complaints.

I would say the complaint process isn't the problem here.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. Oh my where to start?

In an ideal world this does not happen. In the real world, meet corruption...she's pretty nasty and it is all over the place.

[bighughdiehl]

3. This is why...

the Reich hates "community organizers". We're all
just supposed to live in a Dickens novel and like it!

[Hassin Bin Sober]

6. Good point.

[Uncle Joe]

8. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, backtoblue.

[Kaleko]

9. Setting the example of what OWS is about.

Way to go, fellow humans!

[backtoblue]

25. this is what OWS is all about...

It's nice to hear real change being made and people getting together to protect others.

(it's also nice to hear that some tangible goodness is coming from this!)

: )

[dixiegrrrrl]

10. This, while the City took OWS' generators illegally, without providing ANY lists of "violations".

( OWS just today got their generators back).

So, OWS went around cold and wet and STILL put together an action to help other people who had no heat.

Really SHAMES NYC... WTG!!!!

[Kaleko]

11. Right you are.

Thanks for making that connection.

Great eye-opener to make this simple comparison between Occupy protesters and the authorities.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. Woot!

And this is why PTB fears this.

[Kaleko]

15. Another kick.

[Starry Messenger]

16. k&r

[Remember Me]

17. link? nt

[Sirveri]

18. This, link please!

[demmiblue]

19. Here:

http://thinkprogress.org/special/2011/11/08/364492/occupy-wall-street-landlord-heat-hot-water/

[backtoblue]

21. Thanks demmiblue

I was past being able to edit. Have a great day!

[lunatica]

22. Man! Waking up today has been awesome!

[deutsey]

23. K&R

[firehorse]

24. New boiler.... but lets see if the landlord buys oil for it and turns it on.

The tenents should form a tenent association, sue the landlord, then turn the building into a co-op.

[Kaleko]

26. OWS has lawyers working for free for the cause.

One of them might be able to set up an action plan for the tenants that will set a precedent for New York.

Anything is possible now that the 99% are starting to feel more empowered with every passing day.